As stated in UN Armenia report concerning Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Armenian\s participation in it, the UPR is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. Since its first meeting held in April 2008, all 193 UN member States have been reviewed during the first UPR cycle and 112 during the second cycle. The second review of States highlighted human rights developments in the country since its first review and provided an opportunity for States under review to present the steps taken to implement recommendations posed during their first reviews.

Armenia was one of the 14 States reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its second session that took place from 19 to 30 January2015. Armenia first undergo UPR review in May 2010[1].

Armenian civil society has also participated actively in the second UPR cycle of Armenia. Particularly, under the umbrella of Open Society Foundations – Armenia, a broad coalition of independent non-governmental organizations Society Without Violence NGO among them developed a shadow report for the 21st Session of the UPR. Another shadow report on women’s and LGBT rights specifically was prepared by Pink Armenia, Society Without Violence, Women's Resource Center and Women's Support Center in cooperation with the Human Rights House Yerevan[2].

Hasmik Khachatryan, a mother of two, had suffered violence and abuse at the hands of her husband for nine years; her life changed two years ago, the moment she found the strength to escape from her husband’s house at night in order to save her life and stand up for her rights.

Today, after numerous challenges, litigations and hardships, Hasmik remembers her previous life and opens up. “I clearly understood that it was not life, but all the same, I could not find a way out. Every time I thought of a family and looked at the one I had, I told to myself – even if I am still devoted, patient, but at least not to be so humiliated and undermined, but there was no way out, until that trivial night,” says the woman, who got a prestigious award for her standpoint last week.